NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 18– The government has declared Friday, March 20, a public holiday to mark the Muslim festival of Idd-ul-Fitr, which signifies the end of the holy month of Ramadan.Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced the holiday in a special gazette notice issued on Wednesday, invoking powers under the Public Holidays Act.“It is notified for the general information of the public that, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 2 (1) of the Public Holidays Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration declares that Friday, the 20th March, 2026, shall be a Public Holiday to mark Idd-ul-Fitr,” the notice stated.Idd-ul-Fitr, also known as Eid al-Fitr, is one of the most significant celebrations in Islam.It is observed by Muslims worldwide at the conclusion of Ramadan, a month of fasting, prayer and reflection.The festival falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar, and is marked by communal prayers, charity and festive meals shared with family and friends.In Kenya, where a sizeable Muslim population resides mainly along the coast and in parts of the northeast and urban centres, the public holiday allows the faithful to participate fully in religious observances and celebrations marking the end of 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-dusk fasting.